Impact resistant package and method

ABSTRACT

An impact resistant container system particularly useful for products such as stacked, thin sheets of photographic-film or printing plates and other articles that must be kept distortion free. The system has an inner container wherein the product is sandwiched between upper and lower protection sheets that extend beyond the corner margins of the product and the product is restrained from movement within the sandwich. The sandwich is snugly positioned within an outer container so that the article is spaced apart on all sides from the vertical walls of the outer container to provide impact protection crush zones.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from a provisional applicationfiled Oct. 17, 2002 under Serial No. 60/419,130 having the same title,and inventors.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to a package and method forprotecting fragile articles for shipping and storage. Particularly, theinvention relates to a package and method for articles having cornersthat must be protected from impact because even slight deformation ofthe corner can render the article unusable. More particularly, onecategory of articles to be protected includes a stack of rectangular,thin photographic sheets with photosensitive emulsion applied to theirsurfaces and to printing plates. Even more particularly, a specificclass of articles requiring corner protection includes planographicsheets and printing plates, and sheet-like articles that must remainfree of distortion.

BACKGROUND

[0003] The basic object for all packaging is to ensure that the packagedgoods arrive in a condition so that the goods have not lost any of theircapability for their intended use. The best package, therefore, is theone that ensures that when the goods are ready for use, they are in thesame condition as when they were manufactured and packaged. Thus, theprimary object of the present invention is to provide a package thatprotects the goods so that no loss of use occurs.

[0004] Photosensitive printing plates of thin sheet metal that arecoated with thermosensitive or light sensitive emulsion are fragilearticles requiring special attention to the integrity of their cornersand all edges. Such thin material is easily bent or crimped rendering itunsuitable for mounting and causing printing defects. The same problemresults from photographic papers or other substrates in rectangular orsquare form that requires that the corners be free of defect or damage.Also, many articles formed from china, glass, porcelain, and similarmaterials are fragile and when in rectangular or square shapes requirespecial attention for the protection of corners.

[0005] Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention toprovide a package and method for protecting the corners and edges ofmulti-cornered objects packaged therein.

[0006] In addition to preventing distortion of corners caused byimpacts, the very precise corners of a stack of metal plates are sharpand can readily cut any material in which they are wrapped.Photosensitive plates are usually wrapped in aluminum coated kraft paperor black polyethylene for light and moisture protection. Any tear or cutwould let damaging light or moisture in. Thus, still another object ofthe present invention is to securely hold wrapped articles with sharpcorners so that the wrapping material is not torn upon impact whilebeing shipped or handled.

[0007] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,229 granted on Dec. 6, 1994 to Ronald W.Krockel, et al., a high impact resistant package system for fragileproducts is disclosed having corner protective members, which extendbeyond the corner edges of the product being packaged. These cornerprotective members are circular in shape and have a cutout portion toreceive a right angle corner. The purpose is to absorb shock duringhandling and shipment. However, in this system, each corner of thearticle to be protected fits snugly and tightly into the corner of theprotective member and is not spaced significantly apart from the apex ofthe corner.

[0008] Accordingly, it is still another object of the present inventionto provide a corner protective package wherein the corner of the articlebeing protected is spaced away from the nearest corner of the package sothat an adequate “crush zone” can be provided.

[0009] Other patents showing packages with corner protective means areU.S. Pat. No. 5,447,234 which issued Sep. 5, 1995 to Lou T. Faulstick,et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,429 which issued Nov. 11, 1997 to Keith D.Myers; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number U.S. 2002/0060815 A1published May 23, 2002 to Takayuki Usui; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,537 B1granted Dec. 25, 2001 to Takayuki Usui. In each of the foregoingmentioned patents, either the corners of the article to be packaged aredirectly restrained by the container or the sides of the articleimmediately adjacent the corner are constrained at locations very closeto the point of the corner so that any impact or shock to the containerwould be directly transmitted to the apex or point of the corner. Thepoint of the corner is the most sensitive and susceptible to damage partof the article. Thus, it is a specific object of the present inventionto prevent damage to the point or apex area of a corner of a fragileobject.

[0010] The foregoing and other objects are achieved by the presentinvention, which is described in the Summary of the Invention below andin the detailed description with reference to the drawings appendedhereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In one aspect, the present invention is an impact resistantpackage that restrains a rectangular article from movement within thepackage using flaps that partially enclose the four sides of thearticle. Upper and lower corner protective members at each corner areprovided that extend beyond the edges of the article and contact theinterior surfaces of an outer container thereby holding the articlesecurely while spacing the corners of the article from the correspondinginterior corners of the outer container so that crush zones are providedto protect against impact. Likewise side edges of the article are spacedfrom the sides by said corner protection members.

[0012] In another aspect, the present invention is a package forprotecting the corners of an article comprising an article having acorner to be protected; upper and lower sheet-like corner protectivemembers each having a corner extending beyond the protected corner ofthe article, said article being sandwiched between said members andbeing restrained from movement with respect to said members; areceptacle having an interior corner, said upper and lower members withthe article sandwiched therebetween being positioned snugly in saidcorner of said receptacle.

[0013] In yet another aspect, the invention is a package for protectingthe corners of articles comprising a four-sided article havingsubstantially right angle corners, a top, and a bottom; a preform havingfour sides and right angle corners with at least one foldable flap ineach side, said article being positioned on said preform with each ofsaid flaps being folded over a portion of a side of the article and eachflap partially covering the top of the article, the corners of thearticle being spaced apart from the corners of the preform; lower cornerprotective members being provided by each corner of the preform; anupper corner protective member positioned above the top of said article,said upper member having four corners and being aligned with thecorresponding corners of the lower corner protective member; and areceptacle having four right angle corners for receiving and holdingsaid upper and lower corner protective members with said article securedtherebetween.

[0014] In a further aspect of the present invention, the invention is apackage for protecting articles with corners comprising an article ofgenerally rectangular parallelepiped shape having substantially flat topand bottom walls, transverse and longitudinal vertical side walls, theintersection of said side walls forming corners; a sheet-like preform,said preform having parallel transverse and parallel longitudinal sides,each side having flaps formed therein defined by spaced apart slots,said article being centrally positioned on said preform with its sidesbeing substantially parallel to the corresponding sides of said preform,the portion of the preform upon which the article rests being defined asa bottom panel, said flaps being folded over said walls of the article,the lower and upper edges of each side wall of said article definingcreasing and folding edges for each respective flap, each flap having apanel covering a portion of the top wall of said article; the verticalportion of each respective flap forming a panel for restraining movementof said article, and the unfolded portion of the preform between pairsof transverse and longitudinal slots or slits defining lower protectivecorner members; a sheet-like upper protective member having multiplecorners and being positioned over said inner container so that itscorners coincide with but are spaced vertically apart from the lowercorners of the inner container, the coinciding corners of the preformand the upper corner protective members extending beyond the corners ofthe article thereby providing a crush zone for the article in eachcorner; transverse and longitudinal straps, each strap being wrappedaround said folded preform to hold the respective top, bottom, sidewalls and upper protective member securely against the article therebyforming an inner container; an outer container formed from sheet-likematerial being substantially rectangular in shape having outer end andouter side flaps defined by first score lines, said first score linesintersecting to form corners, and end and side panels being defined bythe space between the first and second score lines, said inner containerbeing positioned on said outer container with the corner of said innercontainer coinciding with the corner formed by the first score lines;the end flaps and side flaps of the outer container being folded to formend panels between the first and second score line segments, said endflaps covering a portion of the upper corner protective member, saidside flap being folded so that the portion of each flap between thefirst and second score line portions forms side panels for the outercontainer, said outer side flaps being folded over the outer end flapsand upper protective members with their respective edges meeting to forma seam and that closes the outer container. The seam can be sealed withadhesive tape.

[0015] In yet another aspect, the materials from which the foregoingpackaging members are formed are preferably paperboard, corrugatedpaperboard, or foamed plastic, or corrugated plastic. The foamed plasticmay be foamed polystyrene, foamed polyethylene or another foamablepolymer.

[0016] In a still further aspect, the present invention is a method forpackaging fragile articles which provides impact resistance for cornerscomprising the steps of placing the article to be protected on arectangular, sheet-like preform that has a pair of spaced apart slots orslits in each side of said preform, the pairs of slits being spacedapart from the corners of the perform; folding the flaps upwardly andover the article using the article as a guide for the folding edge forthe flaps, or using prescored flaps or by scoring the flaps on themachine, said preform having a greater horizontal surface area than thearticle so that the corners of the preform extend beyond the corners ofthe article; holding the flaps in position thereby holding the articlesecurely within the flaps; positioning an upper corner protective memberover the article, said upper member being sized and positioned so thatits corners are vertically spaced apart from and parallel and coincidentto the corners of the preform, said corners extending beyond the cornersof the article, and positioning the preform with the article thereuponin a container having interior dimensions to snugly receive the cornersof said preform and upper protective member; and thereafter closing saidouter container. In a further embodiment of the method, a step ofstrapping the folded flaps of the preform and the upper cornerprotective member to form an inner container with the article sandwichedtherebetween is performed.

[0017] The invention generally provides a system for protecting articlesthat must remain as free of distortions as possible; and, the inventionmay be better understood by reference to the drawings, which aredescribed below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawings which are appended hereto and made a part of thisdisclosure are provided by way of illustration and do not limit thescope of the invention. In the drawings:

[0019]FIG. 1 is a plan view from above of the outer carton or containerin an unfolded flattened position;

[0020]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the preform for the inner container ofthe present invention;

[0021]FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the article to be packagedpositioned on the preform of FIG. 2;

[0022]FIG. 4 is the same as the view of FIG. 3 except with the top padpositioned over the article

[0023]FIG. 5 is the plan view of FIG. 4 with the end and side flapsfolded;

[0024]FIG. 6 is the same view as FIG. 5 but straps have been applied tosecure the folded flaps;

[0025]FIG. 6a is an exploded view of the package of the presentinvention showing the arrangement of the flattened outer carton, thepreform, the article, and the upper protective member or pad insuperposed position;

[0026]FIG. 6b is a view showing the inner package of the presentinvention as viewed in FIG. 6 positioned in the outer carton;

[0027]FIG. 6c is a view showing the inner package positioned on theunfolded outer container and being located within the score lines;

[0028]FIG. 6d is a view showing the end flaps of the outer containerbeing folded upwardly over the inner container;

[0029]FIG. 6e is a view showing the completion of the folding of one endflap while the other is in position to be folded; and

[0030]FIG. 6f shows the closing of the package with the outer edge flapsof the outer container completing their folding operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the inventionwill be described which provides a surprisingly effective impactresistant package. Outer is carton or container or receptacle 1 is shownin lay flat position before folding. Score lines 2 and 2′ are shown as aparallel pair of score lines with the inner score line 2 defining arectangle and connecting the corners which are formed by theintersection of end flaps 3 and side flaps 4. The outer container ispreferably constructed from corrugated paperboard wherein flutes aresandwiched between sheets of kraft paper. However, paperboard sheet maybe used as well as foamed plastic sheets such as foam polystyrene,foamed polyethylene or any suitable foamable polymers or corrugatedplastics.

[0032]FIG. 2 shows inner container or carton preform 5 having adjustablewidth side flaps 7 that are formed by the spaced apart slits or slots 7′on the longitudinal sides of the preform. The space between slits andthe length of the slits may be varied as desired. Flaps 6 on thetransverse sides of the preform are formed by the slits or slots 6′.Protective corners 8 are provided at each of the four corners of thepreform 5. This inner carton or container preform 5 can also be formedfrom paperboard, corrugated paperboard, or a foamed polymer orcorrugated plastic.

[0033] In FIG. 3, article 9 is shown placed upon the preform 5 and beingpositioned centrally thereupon. The article has an end edge 11, a sideedge 10, and corners 23 which are to be protected. The article 9 is, ina preferred embodiment, a stack of thin aluminum sheets, photographpaper, or planographic printing plates. Such a stack is shown inEuropean Patent Application EP 1,207,122A2. This stack may be betweenabout ½″ to about 1½″ tall or taller and comprise 15 to 150 sheets.Typically the sheets are interleaved with protective paper tissue. Thesheets are those type used at many applications, particularly printingas described in the aforementioned patent application. The article 9 maybe over wrapped with a light protective sheet of aluminum foil coatedkraft paper laminate as shown in European Patent Application EP1,081,550A1. As an alternate, the article may be wrapped in a blackplastic film, which is light protective.

[0034] In FIG. 4, the “dog-bone” shaped upper pad member 14 has beenpositioned over article 9. The corners 15 of the pad 14 (see FIG. 5also) correspond to the respective corners in preform 5.

[0035] In FIG. 5 the side flaps 7 and end flaps 6 are shown folded overthe sides of article 9 and over pad 14 the top of article 9. The articleitself may be used as the folding guide so that the preform 5 need notbe pre-scored. Thus, article 9 may vary in width and length and theflaps, which are adjustable or variable in their lengths, willaccommodate the changes in dimensions. The flaps in this folded overposition are held in folded position over protective member 14 as shownin FIGS. 5, 6, 6 a, and 6 b. Then, plastic or glass fiber straps 12 and13 are applied so that the article 9 is secured within the folded innerpackage 17 and the article cannot move with respect to the perform 5 ormember 14. As can be seen when the flaps 6 and 7 are folded in thismanner and securely held, the four corners 8 project outwardly beyondcorners 23 of the article and they form top and bottom pads. Tape couldbe used instead, but; straps are preferred because they will not adhereto the light protective wrapping material which they might contact thearticle and the straps can be readily removed without pulling on ordisrupting the integrity of the material around which they are issecured.

[0036] In FIGS. 4 and 5 the upper corner protective member 14 or “dogbone” is shown positioned over Article 9. (See FIG. 3). This is a memberthat can be formed from corrugated paperboard, foamed plastic,corrugated plastic, or paperboard. These four materials, as mentioned,are all preferable because of their resilience and ability to withstandimpact yet provide a cushioning effect. The upper preform 14 has fourcorners 15 or “ears” which are connected by the central connectingmember 16. The corner-to-corner dimensions of upper corner protectivemember 15 in longitudinal and transverse directions match the dimensionsof inner package 17 and the longitudinal and transverse spacing ofcorners 8. The dog bone shape can be formed from a rectangular sheet byremoving material between the ears to form the ears and connectingmember.

[0037] Referring next to FIG. 6a, the exploded view shows the assemblyof the preferred package and the superposed alignment of the packagecomponents. FIG. 6b shows the inner package 17, which is the package ofFIG. 6 as it is to be placed onto the outer container form 1. Thus,between FIGS. 6a and 6 b the article 9 has been placed on preform 5 andtransverse or end flaps 6 and longitudinal or side flaps 7 have beenfolded over article 9 and member 14 and strapped in place to formpackage 17.

[0038]FIG. 6c shows the inner package 17 positioned on the outercontainer 1 with all four corners 8 coinciding with or being coextensivewith the respective four corners 15 of the upper protective member 14 asit is positioned over the article 9 in a superimposed configuration heldby straps 12 and 13 as shown in FIG. 5. The positioning of these cornersand their alignment is shown by the arrows in FIGS. 6a and 6 b.

[0039] In FIG. 6c, the crush zone 18 is shown and it is represented bythe space between the two arrow heads, which is the space between theshadow line 9′, which is the edge of article 9, and the margin of therespective protection member. As can be seen in FIG. 6c, there are norestraining members of the package adjacent the corners of the article 9that can apply force to the corner area of the article in the event ofan impact, because the flaps which do hold the article in place on theperform are substantially removed from the corner. Thus, no shock islikely to be transmitted directly to a corner of the article. (In otherwords, only in catastrophic complete destruction of the package wouldimpact damage occur to the corners of the article.) If a blow isreceived on this corner the force of the blow will be absorbed by theouter carton 1 first and then by the corners of the upper and lowerprotective members without disturbing the corner of the article. Thus,the article 9 is protected as it is sandwiched between protectivemembers 8 and 15 that form crush zone 18. As can be appreciated, theprotection member 14 and 15 not only provide a corner “crush zone” butthey also provide the end and side crush zones.

[0040] The article also is protected on its vertical end and sidewallsby the sidewall formed by flaps 7 when folded and end wall protectionprovided by flaps 6 when folded. Both flaps 6 and 7 provide top surfaceprotection to the top of article 9 in combination with the connectorportion 16 of upper member 14. (See FIG. 6).

[0041] Looking now at FIG. 6d, the end flaps 3 are folded upwardly fromthe inner set of score lines 2 and then in FIG. 6e the flap 3 is foldedover from the outer score line 2′ which forms fold line 19 and the spacebetween the score lines 2 and 2′ as folded provides the end panel 20. Asimilar operation takes place in FIG. 6f where flap 4 is folded overfirst from the inner score line 2 (not shown) and then from the line 22formed by outer score line 2′ to close the package as shown by thearrows as it rotates down to meet the other flap. Vertical side panel 21is formed by the space between score lines. Once folded, these flaps 4form a tight seam as their longitudinal edges abut which can be sealedwith an adhesive tape. The resulting package, which is the preferredembodiment, is formed with corrugated paperboard and provides protectionfor the article therein for shipping and for storage. In placing theinner container 17 within an outer receptacle or wrapping an outerreceptacle around the outer container, the important feature is thatboth upper and lower corner protective members are restrained frommovement within the receptacle so that impact shock is absorbed by thecrush zone portion of the protective members.

[0042] The dog bone shape of the upper corner protective member 14 asshown in FIGS. 4 through 6f provides easier handling than a completelysolid, rectangular sheet does and when placed in a container as shown in6 d, not only are additional “crush zones” provided between the sideedge of the article covered by flap 7 and the score line 2 from whichside flap 21 rises but an area is created for wrapping the strapswithout direct contact of the straps to the wrapping of article 9. Theends of the article are likewise covered and provided with crush zones.

[0043] In the method of the present invention the steps of assemblingthe package follow the sequence described above in FIGS. 1-6 f. Thefolding can be accomplished by machine and the folding of the end andside flaps 6 and 7 as has taken place between FIGS. 4 and 5 can be doneby upwardly moving fingers that fold the flaps over the ends and sidesof the article and member 14 and the fingers hold the flaps while thestraps are applied. Adhesive tape can also be applied here in the placeof the straps but for ease of opening straps are preferred because theycan be readily cut and removed from the package whereas tapes withadhesive tend to stick and would have to be peeled from the members orfrom the wrapping of the article 9 if contacted. Removal of adhesivetape in such an event could possibly tear the wrapping material exposingthe contents to light. Also, adhesive tapes are difficult to dispose of.Thus, all steps performed in the packaging process are readilyunderstood to preserve the integrity of the wrapping of the article 9 sothat the package is not only protected from physical shock but also thepossibility of a tear or rupture is significantly reduced.

[0044] In the process of making the package as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 f,the process may be characterized as one of sandwiching the article 9between protective members, restraining the article so it cannot movewith respect to the members, and then placing the sandwiched article ina conforming receptacle or container or forming a receptacle around thesandwiched article. As a result, a highly useful packaging system of apackage and a process for packaging fragile articles is provided.

[0045] After having read the foregoing specification and viewed theattached drawings, many embodiments and applications of the inventionmay become apparent to those skilled in the art but the invention islimited only by the scope of the claims as set forth below.

We claim:
 1. An impact resistant package comprising: a) an articlehaving a corner to be protected from impact; b) upper and lower spacedapart, sheet-like corner protective members in vertical alignment, eachmember having a corner extending beyond the protected corner of thearticle, said article being sandwiched between said members and beingrestrained from movement with respect to at least one of said members;and c) a receptacle having an interior corner, the corners of said upperand lower members with the article sandwiched therebetween beingpositioned in said interior corner of said receptacle, both membersbeing restrained from movement within said receptacle.
 2. The package ofclaim 1 wherein said article is a stack of rectangular photosensitiveplates in a light protective wrap and the article is being restrainedfrom movement with respect to both protection members.
 3. The package ofclaim 1 wherein the material from which the package and cornerprotection members are formed is selected from the group consisting ofpaperboard, corrugated paperboard, foamed plastic, and corrugatedplastic, and wherein the edges of the members forming the corners ofsaid upper and lower protective members provide end and side protection.4. An impact resistant package comprising: a. an article having fourvertical sides that intersect in substantially right angle corners, atop, and a bottom; b. a preform having four sides and right anglecorners with at least one foldable flap in each side, said article beingpositioned on said preform with each of said flaps being folded over aportion of a side of the article and each flap partially covering thetop of the article, the corners of the articles being spaced apart fromthe corners of the preform; c. lower corner protective members beingformed by each corner of the preform; d. an upper corner protectivemember positioned above the top of said article, said member having fourcorners and being vertically aligned with the corresponding corners ofthe lower corner protective member; e. said article being restrainedfrom movement with respect to said upper and lower members; and f. areceptacle having four right angle interior corners for snugly receivingand holding said upper and lower corner protective members with saidarticle sandwiched therebetween.
 5. The package of claim 4 wherein thematerials from which the preform, upper corner protection member, andreceptacle are selected consists of corrugated paperboard, paperboard,foamed plastic, and corrugated plastic.
 6. The package of claim 4wherein the article is a stack of rectangular photosensitive sheets in alight protective wrap.
 7. An impact resistant package comprising: a. anarticle of generally rectangular parallelepiped shape havingsubstantially flat top and bottom walls, and vertical longitudinal andtransverse side walls, the intersections of said side walls formingcorners requiring impact protection; b. a sheet like preform, saidpreform having substantially parallel transverse and substantiallyparallel longitudinal sides, each side having flaps formed thereindefined by spaced apart slits, said article being centrally positionedon said preform with its sides being substantially parallel to thecorresponding sides of said preform, the portion of the preform uponwhich the article rests being defined as a bottom panel, said flapsbeing folded over said side walls of the article, the lower and upperedges of each side wall of said article defining as creasing and foldingedges for each respective flap, each flap having a panel covering aportion of the top wall of said article, the vertical portion of eachrespective flap forming a panel for restraining movement of saidarticle, and, the unfolded portion of the preform between pairs oftransverse and longitudinal slits defining lower protective cornermembers; c. an outer sheet-like container substantially rectangular inshape having outer end and outer side flaps defined by first scorelines, said first score lines intersecting to form four corners, sidepanels defined by the space between said first and second score lines,said inner container being positioned on said container with the cornersof said inner container coinciding with the corners formed by the firstscore lines; d. a sheet-like upper corner protective member havingmultiple corners and being positioned over said inner container so thatits corners coincide with but are spaced apart from the lower corners ofthe inner container, the coinciding corners of the preform and the uppercorner protective members extending beyond the corners of the articlethus providing a crush zone for the article; e. transverse andlongitudinal straps, each strap being wrapped around said folded preformand upper member to hold the respective top, bottom, and side panelssecurely against the article thereby forming an inner container; f. theend flaps and side flaps of the outer container being folded to form endpanels between the first and second score line segments, and said endflaps covering a portion of the upper corner protective member, saidside flaps being folded so that the portion of each flap between thefirst and second score line positions forms side panels for the outercontainer, said outer side flaps being folded over the outer end flapsand upper protective member with their respective edges meeting to forma seam and close the outer container, said seam being sealed therebyproviding an impact resistant package.
 8. The package of claim 7 whereinsaid preform, upper corner protective member, and outer container areformed from corrugated paperboard.
 9. The package of claim 7 wherein theat least one of the sheet-like components, namely, the preform, uppercorner protective member, or outer container, is formed from foamedplastic material, or corrugated plastic.
 10. The package of claim 7wherein the article to be packed comprises a stack of photosensitivesheets in a light protective wrapping.
 11. The package of claim 7wherein all the longitudinal and transverse directions are equal so thatsaid article, inner container, and outer container are generally square.12. The package of claim 7 wherein the upper corner protective membercomprises: i) a flat, generally rectangular sheet member; ii) saidmember having a central connector segment of a rectangular shape; andiii) corner members at each corner of said connector extending outwardlyfrom said connector.
 13. A method of making an impact resistant packagecomprising the steps of: a) providing a four sided preform sheet, saidpreform having a pair of slits in each side, the space between the slitsin each pair defining a flap; b) positioning an article centrally on thepreform, said article being of smaller dimensions than said preform sothat a margin is provided by the preform around the article whereby thepreform extends beyond the article; c) placing an upper cornerprotection member over the article in said container, said upper membersnugly fitting the shape and dimension of the interior of saidcontainer; d) folding said flaps upwardly and over the article andprotection member; e) securing said flaps against the article at pointsremote from the corners of the article; f) restraining said article frommovement with respect to said preform and upper member; and, g)positioning the preform with the article thereupon in a receptacle withinterior shape and dimension to snugly accommodate said perform andupper corner member thereby protecting said article from impact.
 14. Amethod of making an impact resistant package comprising the steps of: a)sandwiching an article having a corner between upper and lowerprotective members each having corners that are positioned to extendbeyond the corner of said article; b) restraining said article so thatit cannot move with respect to said members; and c) forming a receptaclehaving interior corners around the sandwiched article and container sothat the corners of the protective member snugly fit into said interiorcorners of said receptacle.